Dillon Gabriel Must Take Advantage of Huge Break in Browns' QB Battle

Shedeur Sanders impressed in his first NFL action in the Browns' preseason Week 1 clash against the Panthers. Can Dillon Gabriel do the same versus the Eagles?

Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) watches quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) during day two of NFL rookie minicamp at the Cleveland Browns training facility on Saturday, May 10, 2025, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns' quarterback competition has been the premier positional battle to watch in the NFL throughout training camp and preseason. Part of it is due to the sheer uncertainty around it. Following Deshaun Watson's rupture and then re-rupture of his Achilles tendon, the team brought in four different QBs to vie for his vacated starting spot.

They signed 18-year veteran Joe Flacco, traded for the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett, and drafted both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in 2025. The presumed rotation and current listing on the Browns' unofficial depth chart has Flacco starting, with Pickett the primary backup, followed by Gabriel, and finally Sanders at QB4.

Shedeur Sanders made some major headway in the competition in preseason Week 1, though. With Flacco resting and both Pickett and Gabriel out due to hamstring injuries, he got the start against the Carolina Panthers and made the most of his opportunity, completing 14-of-23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. However, he could lose any edge he gained last week, after straining his oblique in practice, if Dillon Gabriel can maximize his newfound opportunity in preseason Week 2.

Jul 28, 2025; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel (5) throws a pass during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It's time for Dillon Gabriel to prove what he can do for the Cleveland Browns

Dillon Gabriel could only watch from the sidelines as Shedeur Sanders picked apart the Carolina Panthers' defense in preseason Week 1. The former Oregon Ducks quarterback made his way back to practice this past week, though, ahead of the Cleveland Browns' clash against the Philadelphia Eagles.

He got off to a strong start on training camp Day 12, completing 7-of-10 passes and tossing three touchdowns. However, he looked rough in Cleveland's joint practices with Philadelphia.

On their first shared day with the Eagles, he threw two scores but went just 6-of-19 overall. He found the end zone again in the second practice with Philadelphia, but finished just 1-of-5 passing. His numbers do have to be taken with a grain of salt, considering the time he missed and the potential lingering effects of his hamstring injury.

If he's good to go, though, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski said that he'll be the starter for Cleveland's preseason Week 2 matchup with the Eagles. He has to be feeling the pressure after Sanders' outing against the Panthers. Gabriel will likely find it a lot more difficult to move the ball against Philadelphia's much deeper roster compared with Carolina's.

However, it could mean much more to the coaching staff if he can have an encouraging performance against the Eagles' defense. It's on Gabriel now to show out for the Browns, with Shedeur Sanders only able to watch from the sidelines.